YOUNG Czech bass Jan Martinik wowed the audience and judges at St David’s Hall, Cardiff, to win the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize 2009.

Martinik, 26, beat four other finalists, including the Welsh soprano Natalya Romaniw, 22, from Morriston, Swansea, to win the £5,000 prize.

The doctor’s son set pulses racing with a measured performance that comprised songs from composers Saint-Saëns, Schumann and Schubert.

After being presented with his Welsh crystal trophy he said: “I am very tired and very happy and feel wonderful. I felt very happy; it is also a time of mixed emotions for me because I also thought about the other great singers who have been here all week.”

Jan, who had originally wanted to be a doctor before discovering singing, then joked with Julian Smith, the competition’s musical adviser who had selected Jan for the contest in auditions held in Berlin where Jan is based with the Komische Oper, “This is all your fault – you are responsible!”.

Afterwards Adam Gatehouse, editor of live music at BBC Radio 3, said: “The song prize has been the Cinderella of the singing world, but over the last two decades has been transformed. We have heard more than 160 songs over six days and that is quite something.”

The other contestants in front of the packed concert hall were Javier Arrey, 27, baritone, from Chile; Eri Nakamura, 30, soprano and Yuriy Mynenko, 20, counter-tenor, from Ukraine.

Chairman of the panel of international judges John Fisher, chief executive and artistic director of Welsh National Opera, said the judges had heard wonderful singing this week in “such a demanding art form”.

The Song Prize runs in parallel with BBC Cardiff Singer of the World operatic competition. Both competitions are organised by BBC Cymru Wales in what Menna Richards, director of BBC Cymru Wales described as flagship music events from Wales.